Infineum International Limited

Phillip Dimitrov

Richard Joseph Severt

Peter J Hobin

Kyle Nesti

A process for the preparation of polybutene having an exo-olefin content of at least 50 mol. % from an isobutene-containing monomer feedstock, which process comprises contacting said isobutene-containing feedstock with a Lewis acid catalyst complexed with a Lewis base, in an apolar polymerization medium, and initiating polymerization of said isobutene-containing feedstock. The Lewis acid catalyst is of formula R'AlCl, wherein R&#x2032; is hydrocarbyl; the Lewis base is a dihydrocarbyl ether wherein each hydrocarbyl group is independently selected from C1-C8 hydrocarbyl groups and one or both hydrocarbyl groups of the dihydrocarbyl ether are substituted with an electron-withdrawing group; and the initiator is a compound of formula RX, wherein X is a halide; R is a hydrocarbyl group capable of forming a stable carbocation, and the carbon linking group R to group X is tertiary, benzylic, or allylic.

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Jersey City, NJ, United States of America

Phillip Dimitrov